


Empire Ants

by daddyzanchez



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bonding, Drinking, Drinking to Cope, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Phase Three (Gorillaz)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 22:32:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11217594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daddyzanchez/pseuds/daddyzanchez
Summary: Murdoc is never sober these days, so when 2D finds sober Murdoc Niccals by his side at the shore of Plastic Beach, he is surprised and frankly pretty worried.





	Empire Ants

**Author's Note:**

> Written for an anon who asked: "Hey can I request brotherly bonding between 2D and Murdoc on plastic beach? Idk I'm just obsessed with tht phase" - this can be interpreted as 2doc if you want it to.

Plastic Beach was a strangely beautiful place, 2D had agreed with himself. It felt lonely and melancholy even if you shared the place with someone. Company did nothing about the feeling that this island left in your chest. Then again, sharing the island of garbage with none other than Murdoc Niccals was a difficult thing to call company; he was drunk all the time and when he wasn't drunk, he was just in a horrible mood. It ended up with 2D spending a lot of evenings by the shore all alone, watching the waves and humming to himself. Murdoc was usually passed out by then. 2D always managed to put him in recovery position and that meant that nothing terrible could happen; he couldn't choke on his own vomit, in fact, the worst thing that could happen was Murdoc pissing himself. It had happened a few times.

The evening sky was turning several colours of red, orange and pink. Only a glimpse of the sun was left in the horizon, and 2D took a swig of his beer and curled his toes in his flip-flops as a cold breeze washed over him from the sea. The wind seemed to come from all directions and it was pleasant.

Much to his surprise, Murdoc sat down beside him and 2D turned his head to figure out just how much he had had to drink today. It was easy to read if you looked at his eyes and how distant they were.

“You're sober?” 2D asked in surprise, raising his brows at the sight. It was uncommon and almost quite scary.

“It's Noodle’s birthday,” Murdoc replied, thinking it was enough of an answer, and it was. 2D couldn't count on one hand how many times, he had heard him having nightmares now, waking up and gasping for air. It had always been about her.

“That's right,” 2D said quietly, “Wanna talk about it?”

“Sod off,” Murdoc quickly replied and 2D responded by holding his hands up in defeat, his beer spilling slightly, “Just asking, it’s a special day for her. Remember when we caught her with the trimmer? Fuck, her hair was everywhere. We had to buy her like ten different hats and helmets for her birthday that year.”

“Yeah, poor thing didn't know what the fuck that thing could do,” Murdoc smiled fondly but it quickly faded again and silence washed over them. 2D looked at the sky, watching how it turned more and more dark, and the waves more noisy and mysterious. Only a couple of hours left of her special day, at least where they were.

“I looked everywhere for her,” Murdoc finally said. Here we go, 2D thought to himself. Murdoc cleared his throat, “It just feels so hopeless, ya know? I don't know where she is and I failed her.”

“You didn't fail her, Muds,” 2D reasoned but Murdoc let out a sad chuckle, “Oh shut up, numbnut. I shouldn't have stopped looking, God knows where the hell she is. She was a teenager, and I should've been there.”

“You're not her father,” 2D shrugged, pouring the rest of his beer out into the water and Murdoc sighed, “But I should've been, ya know? I-it should've been me, you two were way too young to handle a teenager anyway.”

“Well, I can handle you,” 2D smirked and it earned him a slap to the back of his head, causing him to wince but not smirk any less.

“No wonder I screwed her over so bad,” Murdoc said as he closed his eyes briefly, “I’m not even old enough in my own fucking head to have responsibilities like that. What do I know about raising kids? I sure fucked up.”

“It's something you learn, I guess,” 2D tried and furrowed his brows. Sober Murdoc felt strange and slightly uncomfortable, “You can't be good at everything from the beginning.”

“What have I got to learn this kind of responsibility from? My own father? He was an old cunt, loved humiliating me, humiliating the everloving shit out of me, and make me feel like I was a waste of space.”

“Oh c'mon, you old man,” 2D sighed.

“No, honestly, some family, huh?” Murdoc snarled.

“Muds, calm down.”

“No, look - I failed her so badly and I can't even wish her a happy birthday.”

“Wait here,” 2D finally said and left the seaside. Murdoc rolled his eyes and grabbed the empty bottle, lifting it up and was just about to smash it. 2D grabbed his wrist, “Don't. I'd have to go get another one and pour it out. Drunk Murdoc Niccals will hate it when I tell about the waste of beer.”

“What on earth are you talking about, dimwit?” Murdoc snapped but tilted his head as 2D handed him a piece of paper as well as a pen.

“Write her something, I don't have to read it, just write her something and we'll tape up the bottle and throw it into the sea,” 2D said, causing Murdoc to narrow his eyes. He eventually gave in and took the pen.

It took him a moment to write a short message and then another moment to read it through at least ten times. He eventually nodded and 2D handed him the tape to seal it.

Soon, it was floating away from them and 2D decided not to ask what Murdoc had written. Instead he just stood a bit closer to him, daring to wrap an arm around him. To his surprise, Murdoc did nothing but just leaned his weight ever so slightly into him.

“We're your family now, Muds.”

There was no answer from Murdoc for a long time but a hand was placed on his shoulder, and it was good enough for 2D.

“I think I've got an idea for a new song,” Murdoc said after a long while, watching the bottle float away, “A title at least.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Empire Ants.”


End file.
